Category Archives: Conservation

Five hundred years before government officials in some countries got in the business of censoring Instagram feeds or Twitter accounts, the Roman Catholic Church was using ink to black out text that it considered dangerous. Censors went through books, including scientific texts, and crossed off portions that defied Church doctrine. … Continue reading →

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Storing large-format panoramic photos is challenging. Many of the panoramas that arrive at The Huntington have been tightly rolled for long periods, making it hard to properly catalog them or even view them. One of the most time-intensive and gratifying projects that I completed as a summer intern in The … Continue reading →

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In a suite of audio posts, visiting journalist Corinne DeWitt heads into our three collecting areas—Library, Art, and Botanical—and meets up with staff to explore facets of the vast collections that are the core of The Huntington. This time around: Library. [espro-slider id=16601] CORINNE DEWITT: Today we’re leafing through … Continue reading →

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On my last day as the Dibner Conservator for the History of Science collection at The Huntington, I want to share one of the more interesting and complex conservation treatments I’ve completed here—rebinding George Ellery Hale’s copy of Rosa Ursina sive Sol. Christoph Scheiner, a German Jesuit renowned for his … Continue reading →

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In 2012, The Huntington received a $500,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation to develop an integrated preservation program that would serve both the Library and Art divisions. Previously, only books and works of art on paper received treatment in the preservation department’s conservation laboratory, with paintings being cared for by … Continue reading →

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Of all of the spaces in the Library’s conservation lab, the “dirty room” is perhaps the most mysterious. In it you will find belt grinders with various grits of sandpaper, diamond stones, large tiles of marble, all manner of abrasive material, and many other esoteric tools that would be at … Continue reading →

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Most people who visit the West Hall of the Library over the next few months will be introduced to a technique they had never heard of before. “Illuminated Palaces: Extra-Illustrated Books from the Huntington Library,” which opens on Saturday, July 27, and runs through Oct. 28, features more than 40 … Continue reading →